


A Nice Place To Visit

by goodisrelative



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-09-21
Updated: 2005-09-21
Packaged: 2017-10-18 04:20:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/184913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodisrelative/pseuds/goodisrelative
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>He wondered if he ever considered it home… or if he had always been waiting for Atlantis.  He doesn’t know the answer and he doesn’t care enough to work it through. </em></p>
            </blockquote>





	A Nice Place To Visit

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for [](http://gate-haven.livejournal.com/profile)[**gate_haven**](http://gate-haven.livejournal.com/)’s challenge suggested by [](http://raisintorte.livejournal.com/profile)[**raisintorte**](http://raisintorte.livejournal.com/). What do SGA team members do when they returned to Earth between The Siege III and The Intruder? Thanks to [](http://thekatebeyond.livejournal.com/profile)[**thekatebeyond**](http://thekatebeyond.livejournal.com/) and [](http://raisintorte.livejournal.com/profile)[**raisintorte**](http://raisintorte.livejournal.com/) for being awesome betas!

_**SGA fic for Intruder Challenge on[](http://gate-haven.livejournal.com/profile)[ **gate_haven**](http://gate-haven.livejournal.com/)**_  
DISCLAIMER: Stargate Atlantis and it's characters belong to their creators. This is not for profit and I am recognizing no financial gain from this enterprise.

Title: A Nice Place To Visit  
Author: Goodisrelative  
Rating: Kids  
Spoilers: Thru Intruder  
Warnings: None  
Pairings: None  
Author’s Note: This was written for [](http://gate-haven.livejournal.com/profile)[**gate_haven**](http://gate-haven.livejournal.com/) ’s challenge suggested by [](http://raisintorte.livejournal.com/profile)[**raisintorte**](http://raisintorte.livejournal.com/). What do SGA team members do when they returned to Earth between The Siege III and The Intruder? Thanks to [](http://thekatebeyond.livejournal.com/profile)[**thekatebeyond**](http://thekatebeyond.livejournal.com/) and [](http://raisintorte.livejournal.com/profile)[**raisintorte**](http://raisintorte.livejournal.com/) for being awesome betas!  
Summary: _He wondered if he ever considered it home… or if he had always been waiting for Atlantis. He doesn’t know the answer and he doesn’t care enough to work it through._

  
They were back on Earth.

When they found the ZPM, he knew what it meant. He argued that he should stay back, that someone needed to stay. Teyla reminded them all that she was remaining in Atlantis. She would visit her people while they were away, but she would watch over the city, too. John still insisted that he should stay back - but when Elizabeth had decreed that all senior personal were to return to Earth, he sighed in resignation. There was no way he could side step that order.

They were spending one month on Earth. With the new teams and staff who all needed to be chosen and vetted, a month, if not longer was required. Supplies needed to be gathered. Old expedition members needed time to visit with family. John had no one he needed to see – there was no one left here on Earth for him. That was why he had agreed, in the end, to take the Atlantis assignment that General O’Neill had entrusted him with and Dr. Weir had asked him to take, besides the adventure.

The original Atlantis crew had over a week to themselves after the new people had been chosed. John headed to the one place he actually wanted to visit on Earth.

The last time he had come to this hill overlooking the valley, it had been to decide if he would take the mission to Atlantis. He weighed the dangers, the adventure and everything else and then made his decision. When he left the hill that last afternoon, he had understood it was most likely for the last time. He was at peace with his decision and the fact that he would not likely see Earth again. But here he sat, just over a year later.

A lot had changed. He was a Lt. Colonel now and military commander of Atlantis. In all honestly, he hadn’t expected it. He knew his record. He knew what people higher up thought of him - with the possible exception of O’Neill. But he knew Elizabeth, too. And she got what she wanted, by hook or by crook. He knew she had made some demands that had been heeded this time.

He’d lost men since arriving at Atlantis. He’d encountered creatures that scared him and people so like those of Earth that it made him wonder what whoever, or whatever, had created these worlds had been thinking. Why wasn’t there improvement? Why couldn’t they get it right?

Everyone else was excited and happy to return, to see loved ones, eat Earth food, and do Earth things. John was simply waiting for the return to Atlantis. He had no one he wanted, needed, to see now that he was back in a place he hadn’t expected to return to. Those he knew in the service would ask about his duty station and he could tell them nothing. He couldn’t work through the issues of men he lost, enemies he fights, or the horrors he witnesses almost daily with anyone. He has no one to tell that he would give too much to return to the days of fighting simple humans in bombers. There’s no one to tell that he is worried about the people on the mainland because they are his to protect now. He can’t even begin to explain what it is to know that one of his men is out there in an unfamiliar galaxy, probably terrified and waiting for his leader to find a way to get him out of the mess he is in. Or explain that soon, he might have to kill the man, one of his own, to protect everyone else. How can he explain the innocence he’s seen lost in those around him and how he is powerless to stop it?

He supposes, though, that even if he had to opportunity, he wouldn’t talk about any of it. Too few would understand and those that would already had burdens he would never add to. Then again, he had never been one to share. He was used to being on his own.

He knew most others expected him to be enjoying his time on Earth, finding a woman or whatever. He’d let them think what they will, and even encourage those thoughts. But he spent his hours watching the water and the city from his hill. He whittled away his time on Earth waiting for the time to return to Atlantis and thinking. He could offer no help to SG-1 with their problems right now. He was only in the way because he didn’t know anything that could be useful to them, so he helped by staying away. He’d already vetted his new military people. He wasn’t going to get involved with anyone else’s staffing.

He had gone to see Lt. Ford’s family as soon as he had been cleared to leave the SCG. It hadn’t been something he wanted to do, but it was something he had to do. It was a part of his job as Atlantis military commander. He would have done it whatever the circumstances because it was his duty.

He returned to the SGC at the appointed time and sighed at the prospect of 18 days aboard the Daedalus. Earth was just a nice place to visit nowadays, it was time to return to his home. He wondered if he ever considered it home, or if he had always been waiting for Atlantis. He doesn’t know the answer and he doesn’t care enough to work it through. He has way too many things to occupy his mind.

“Let’s go home,” he tells Elizabeth as they board. He notices her forced cheerfulness and wonders at the cause.

“Yes, let’s,” Elizabeth agrees and her smile actually reaches her eyes this time. Atlantis is home now and he’s glad she thinks the same.  



End file.
